Thursday, January 18, 2001

Life on the Road in Southeast Asia

I was reading my Southeast Asia Lonely Planet Guidebook and it has a section that perfectly describes life on the road in southeast Asia. So I thought I would share since it is exactly how it feels.

"Southeast Asia is loud, no doubt about it. The roosters have been crowing all night, the screaming motorcycles have been doing circles around your bed and the guttural call to prayers seems to emanate from next door. It isn't even noon yet and the temperature has already reahed the boiling. You climb out of your rock-hard mattress and head down to the shared toilet at the end of the hall. The mirror is too short, the sink is too low and the whole room needs to be sprayed down with bleach. Now its time for a shower (cold water for this penny-pincher), a powdering and a desperate search for clean clothes.
Today is the day you pack up and move to the next town. Arriving at the destination station, the bus is flanked by touts all thirsty for your business. You haggle the price, which is always inflated due to an informal 'I'm new in town' tax. The first guesthouse you visit has a shady yard with chickens scratching around in the dirt but the room is damp and noisy, so you thank the testy clerk and set off down the road. You use your budget senses to sniff out the best score in town and in a few hours you're camped out in the shade with a steamy bowl of noodles and a sweaty bottle of beer. Beats the wage-slave life. "
2008 Lonely Planet Southeast Asia

About Me

I am a bohemian nomad, someone who acts and lives free of regard for conventional rules and practices, but also one who moves according to the seasons. After traveling to over 100 countries and all 7 continents over the past 12 years I feel that I truly subscribe to the words of Mary Poxon, who said. "I sought to see the amazing as normal and the daily as unique, and in that swirling paradox I found the joy of travel." I will be forever in pursuit of new sights and adventures and hope that maybe I can convince a few more to give budget travel a chance. Budget travel gives those with little money an opportunity to travel and those with money an opportunity to travel longer.